Dawn of War
by Alpha-Lonewolf
Summary: Zuko's path begins and his trails will be many. His choices will lead to many results but the one thing he has to face more than anything else is the wrath of the Great Spirits.


**DUE TO PLEAS, I AM FORCED TO CONTINUE SPIRIT OF WAR. AND HERE IT IS. IT WAS TOUGH TO COME UP WITH BUT I DID IT. I HOPE IT IS STILL EPIC AND SEAT GRIPPING. IF YOU THINK THIS SERIES OF STORIES OR MY OTHER STORIES ARE WORTH READING, RECOMMEND THEM TO OTHERS IF YOU THINK THESE STORIES DESERVE IT. THANK YOU AND ENJOY. :)**

**I do not own ATLA or any of the characters.**

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Book 2: Dawn of War

Chapter 1: Light of Hope

**THE SPIRIT WORLD**

The great spirits waited in their realms watching over different parts of the world. The moment has come after a year for time to change. But for one Spirit in particular, it was the moment for the world to change. His greatest creation was about to start his path to bring the world to a new future. Now that he has the other Spirits breathing down his neck, he could do very little to assist Zuko. He would have to become even more clever in every step he takes and hope Zuko will keep on his toes to avoid whatever tricks they might have in store for them. Especially with what happened with Koh and his lack of presence. Agni knew that Zuko would be his primary target to either corrupt of destroy. Agni just had to believe Zuko could overcome what is about to come. He had so far on his journey and he will continue to do so.

Today he would watch over what Zuko has planned and… Agni felt a dark feeling in his soul. Something was about to happen and it felt like the end. It didn't feel as dark as Koh's presence, it felt like a dark deed was about to be caused by one of the spirits. No doubt it was going to include Zuko.

**THE MORTAL WORLD**

After the news of Zuko's terrifying power had spread, Ozai made it so that Zuko's sudden disappearance after meant that he had been killed by him in one final strike. Since no one had heard or seen any type of sightings of the fallen prince, they assumed that the news from the Fire Lord was true. The world was back to the way it was, but in even more fear after what they heard what the Fire Lord was capable of and how cruel and merciless he could be to anyone taken prisoner.

Word was also spread that the Dragon of the West left the Fire Nation never to be heard from since. Many believed his shame was too great to bear and he dropped everything and left as a lost wandering soul. Many thought that loyalty from the Fire Nation army would falter, but after hearing that the Fire Lord was able to take down Zuko with all the terrifying power, many of the soldiers now saw Ozai as a god. This made even more people of the free world lose hope that they will ever keep their land. Many have already submitted to the Fire Lord in order to avoid any harsh punishment. Many have fled into hiding into swamps, jungle, and mountains hoping that their seclusion from the rest of the world will keep them safe from the fire nation tyranny.

The world was now in a state of fear and despair that not even the avatar could save them if he ever returned. People began to doubt that there were any spirits watching over them to allow this to happen. Ozai had already seemed to won the war already. But a new hope will come. The chosen by a great spirit will pass judgment on those who dare destroy the balance.

**SOUTHERN AIR NOMAD TEMPLE**

Zuko sat at the front entrance of the temple gardens meditating. Reflecting on everything he had become and what made him. His thoughts mostly came back to his mother's death and her last words that still haunted him. The betrayal of his uncle thinking how he could have just left him alone, that his mother would still be alive. He deception of his sister. Why did his let his guard down with her? He should have never listened to her serpent's tongue. The one he had called father. The only reason live with a purpose to end his life like the way he ended Zuko's. His fate won't be quick or merciful. Ozai will suffer mentally and physical when he hears that Zuko has returned to end his reign and his bloodline. No one from the house of Sozin shall sit on the thrown nor disgrace the fire nation with their presence again. Zuko will either drive them out with fear or by the edge of his blade.

All these thoughts of hatred clouded his mind to see that the remaining plant life around him caught on fire and the snow on the ground had melted and almost completely evaporated. Zuko once again calmed himself down and his fire to keep in tamed inside of him. This wasn't the first time it had happened. It took a while but Zuko managed to control the flames from within and to call it out at will, but unfortunately the power he wielded against his father was gone. Zuko would have to understand and learn how to gain that power again if he is going to take on the Ozai and his pawns. For now he will have to plan out locations to make himself noticed as the Spirit of War. He will then have to keep a low profile when he travels with his new unmarked face.

Just as Zuko continued his mediation, he began to fell an unusual breeze starting to blow around him. Zuko new enough now that this was the doing of a spirit. He became mind ready to take out his swords and kill what ever came.

"Zuko" a mysterious voice called out from behind.

Zuko turned to see a swirling wind in the middle of the garden front of the temple, "What do you want creature!"

Soon a great air bison with long fur swirling horns on it's head stood before Zuko on four legs while holding onto his great staff. He began to speak, "I am the Great Spirit Vayu of the air Nomads. I have come peacefully to speak with you Zuko"

Zuko had no trust of this Great Spirit, "I have nothing I wish to speak to you about Bison" Zuko said with venom in his words.

Vayu remained ever calm even at Zuko's cold tongue, "Then listen to what I say young one. This path you travel will only lead to more unbalance in the world. You are blinded by your anger and hatred that you do not see the consequences of the choices you will make later. To calm the water of a pool it takes time for peace to come to it if it is patient and waits for destiny to run it's course"

Zuko glared at the bison, "I have no time for your riddles bison" Zuko said irritably.

Vayu spoke plainly, "Let the way be made as it has many times before. That is the true way balance could be set. The avatar is the answer to bring this war to an end. The Avatar is the only way to peace and bring judgment on the wicked"

Zuko could hear no more of this, "If the avatar was the only way to true peace then why does it take over a hundred years for him to come back if he does? Why did I have to suffer for doing the right thing for my people? Why did my mother have to die by my hands!? Where did he go when the world needed him most to prevent all this death, destruction, and unbalance!?"

Vayu stood still for a moment before answering, "Some need to learn what evil is in order to see it in to prevent it from happening again"

Zuko then drew out his swords and pointed one towards Vayu, "Then it is the Great Spirits who have caused this war not my ancestors. You have allowed many to die by doing nothing after the avatar disappeared" Zuko lowered his swords in a position to fight in, "Leave now spirit before I charge you with the fate of those I will soon hunt down! I am the Spirit of War and I will let nothing get in my way to pass the judgment of Agni!"

Vayu blew out a puff of steam from his nose as his fur and braids began to blow in a coming wind. Vayu then spoke in a loud echoing voice, "Zuko. I will not allow you to interfere with the traditions set by the Great Spirits. If you will not stop you thirst for blood, then I will send you to the spirit world"

Vayu took his great Staff and broke it down the middle to make two staffs to wield against Zuko as winds whirled around him like a barrier. Above and around the clouds blew and gathered from every direction around the temple. Tornados began to form around the temple and winter breeze filled the air. Vayu floated over the grounds Zuko stood on. This was the power of the spirit of air about to be unleashed. Zuko would now see that he would soon have to fight the spirit realm to reach his goal. Small price to pay to deliver vengeance on those who deserved it. Even if it meant cutting down a Great Spirit.

Zuko began to unleash his flames to call back his scars infused in fire as well as his left eye as his skin turned white from the ashes of his mother, "Give me a fight worthy from a Great Spirit!"

Vayu threw his first strike shooting a blast of wind blowing Zuko off his feet and towards the cliff edge. Zuko tried sinking his swords into the ground but would not hold. Before reaching the edge, Zuko spun his sword by the chain and whipped the blade out at the cliff's face and successfully sink it in the rock. Zuko soon fell off but held on the chain to swing to the cliff side. He then used his other sword to start climbing up the wall.

Vayu the hovered out in the air finding Zuko climb the cliff side. Vayu then sent large gust balls of wind charging at Zuko.

Seeing the coming strike, Zuko whipped out his sword and swung the blade into a farther part of the cliff and swung by the chain away from the gust ball as it crashed into the mountain crumbling a hole in it.

Again, Vayu continued to send more gusts of wind towards Zuko two at a time. He used both his staffs to control each individual gust of wind to make it's target.

Zuko had to make short to long swings to miss and dodge each gust of wind. A few times he had to swing out in the open only to fling his chain sword back to the mountain face to pull himself back to throw off Vayu's aim.

Vayu then switched tactics and shot all above the cliff top and cause an avalanche of boulders to come down on Zuko.

This caused Zuko to start swinging downwards to the right and barely miss the rock avalanche. Before the last rock fell passed Zuko he flung his blade into one of the last ones and began to swing it side to side until he was able to swing it in circles and launch it Vayu.

Caught off guard, Vayu was unable to create a wind strong enough to knock away the boulder. The rock slammed right across the spirit's face and made him drop one of his staves. The sudden trauma by the strike made him unable to stay in the sky any longer. He was forced to make a crash landing back at the top of the temple grounds.

Zuko managed to climb back on top when Vayu was struggling to get back on his feet. Zuko then saw what appeared to be blood of a spirit dripping from Vayu's mouth. Zuko then started to approach the downed spirit, "You know many people looked to the great spirits and gods that could never know pain of suffering. I guess that is false because gods don't bleed"

Vayu stood up with his other staff in hand, "Insolent boy! You mock the ones who have shown you nothing but compassion to let you live this long?"

Zuko laughed at the remark, "Compassion? Damn your compassion!" Zuko pointed to his face, "If it wasn't for your compassion I wouldn't look like this! If it wasn't for your compassion, my mother would still be alive!"

Vayu swung out his staff sending a blast of wind at Zuko.

Zuko was able to slide out of the way and run up to Vayu as the two fought at close combat. Zuko knew he would have no success blocking a blow from the Great Spirit so he could only duck and weave out of the way. Since Vayu was bigger than Zuko it was easy for him to slip and slide around and under Vayu because of his small stance. Zuko was able to leap all over the place agile and quick. This caused Vayu to become frustrated by a mortal to evade his attacks. As agile as Zuko was, it was almost impossible to strike Vayu. Being a spirit of air it gave him more speed to his movements to block Zuko's attacks.

Zuko figured that this wouldn't get him anywhere closer to winning. If he couldn't make a vital strike, he would have to make small minor strikes Vayu would not expect.

Zuko then saw his chance. He threw out one of his swords at Vayu's side. Thinking he had easily dodged a clumsy attack he did not realize that it went straight into his tail instead. Normally a mortal weapon could not harm a spirit the swords of Zuko were re-forged by Agni and the only weapon that could harm another spirit is a weapon made by a spirit.

The slash was light but long across his tail. Zuko then pulled back on the chain to retract it and slashing deep on the side of Vayu. Vayu was now being pushed back by Zuko's attacks as he stumbled back to keep Zuko at distance.

"How does it feel to experience what us mortal go through every day? How does it feel to finally know what pain feels like?" Zuko said as he kept his advance on Vayu, "You sit high on you thrones in the spirit realm and tell us to endure the pain when you never experienced it yourself!" Zuko was able to make more slashes into Vayu, "You will never know what it is like to be mortal until you have lived it!"

Zuko made a strong strike knocking the staff from Vayu's hands and cutting his fingers as well. As Vayu cringed over in pain from the flames on Zuko's swords, Zuko leapt onto Vayu's head and grabbed onto one of his horns and began to pull on them. When Zuko felt Vayu try to shake him off, he whipped out his sword over and down across Vayu's face cutting deeply and spreading blood across the ground and proceeded to pull on the horn. Zuko then was able to pull the horn out completely and slam it down in Vayu's back.

Zuko leapt off as the spirit breathed heavily on his knees, "Foolish boy. It was Agni who let you suffer. He brought you down this path that has made you suffer all these years" Vayu paused as he coughed up blood from his mouth as it splattered on the ground, "He was the one who allowed your mother to die"

Zuko lowered his weapons. Seeing this Vayu looked up at Zuko as he had his eyes closed and then asked, "If what you say is true would you have let him intervene to keep the Fire Nation from committing these acts of war and stopped it from letting this ever happen to me and my mother?"

Vayu was silent before he answered, "It is something you will never understand boy"

Zuko opened his eyes to show them both lit on fire. This put fear into Vayu, "I'm glad I don't understand, because I don't think Agni understood with you way of sacrificing others for the sake of tradition!"

Before Zuko could attack, Vayu called down four tornados around Zuko. "Once I have destroyed Agni's mistake, the tradition of the avatar will continue!"

Zuko had sunk his swords into the ground as the tornados tried to suck him into the spiral. He barely saw Vayu watching the out come of Zuko and this made Zuko determined. One by one he sunk his swords into the ground at a time moving backwards to one of the tornados. When he was close enough, he began to cut out a chunk of rock a certain size and whipped one of his swords in the ground of one of the tornados and then cut the rest of the rock out and sunk his other sword inside. This caused Zuko to keep low to the ground as he spun around and around on the chain he stuck in the center ground of the tornado.

Vayu saw Zuko inside the tornado, but wondered why he wasn't being sucked up into the vortex. Before he could figure it out Zuko released himself from the tornado on the rock and straight towards him. Vayu was unable to respond in time as the Zuko and the rock hit him and pushed him to the edge of the cliff.

The winds died down and the tornados disappeared. The clouds stopped swirling and moving to resume their natural ways.

Vayu began coughing up more blood. Zuko moved away to reveal his flaming sword in the center of Vayu's chest.

Vayu looked towards Zuko, "No matter what you do, the spirits will never let you have you thirst for your destructive revenge"

Zuko pulled out his sword and held both his swords in an underhand grip, "Then they will meet the same fate as you"

Zuko lit up his blades in a furious fire and struck them deep into the eyes of Vayu. Vayu began to scream out in agonizing pain as he fires began to spread inside of him. Zuko then pulled out his swords and kicked him off the edge of the cliff.

On the way down, the power of air began releasing from Vayu and blow out currents of strong winds before exploding in an eruption of air blowing away the clouds all around the region.

Zuko stood looking down at the fallen spirit until he felt the winds blowing around him and beginning to lift him in the air. Zuko then heard whispers in the air, "Spirit of War. You have bested the Spirit of Air. We reward you with the power air to mix the power of your fire. With this you can create hot air to command may you learn how to use it in many ways" The air began to enter in Zuko's flaming eye. He could feel the winds of the world enter his entire body. To him it felt like he was going to expand and burst. Soon it stopped and he fell to his knees almost out of breath and terribly weakened. Zuko now contained the winds of the four corners of the earth. If it wasn't for being blessed by Agni's power, Zuko would not have survived that experience.

Zuko's facial scars had soon disappeared after the fight was done and his powers were no longer in use. Now he had a new thing to think about. Zuko then wondered about his new gift and how to use it. He figured it had to do with some sort of air bending techniques. That was the problem. It seemed he would have to find out in this temple or another on how to find descriptions on how to air bend in order to use this hot air he has been given.

For hours passed, Zuko searched through out the entire temple but one room he couldn't enter without having an air bender to open it with. He found nothing but statues of old air nomads and faded carvings of images of the air temple and air bison. He did occasionally found the remains of both fire nation soldiers and air nomads on the ground. A reminder of how the Great Spirits, especially the Spirit of Air, could sit back and allow a element's race to be exterminated from existence. Well that was one problem solved. As to what would happen to the world without the Spirit of Air, Zuko did not care. The world was already falling to hell and not even he could make a difference to stop it, but make it more of a hell to his enemies.

After hours of no success in finding air bending techniques, Zuko resided in one of the rooms that was once a bed room for someone long dead. He heated up the floor by throwing fire into it to warm it up since there was no type of material to make a bed out of. Everything was either falling apart of frozen from the ice. Now would be a real good time to know some air bending techniques to use that new hot air bending. Zuko rested on the heated ground in defeat on ever finding anything to aid him in his air bending. But not all was against him in this world… or the next.

"Zuko" a calm whispering voice called.

Zuko was in no mood for talk after fighting a Great Spirit. He pulled out both his blades and jumped into his fighting stance. He angled his blades so he could look through the reflection to see behind him. But such needs weren't necessary when he saw what appeared to be the ghostly image of what used to be an air nomad. Zuko was unsure of what to make of this. He knew Air nomads were peaceful by culture and not to be feared of being attacked. Still Zuko could not help but be on edge with a ghost. So far, he had bad experiences with sprits being unreasonable and deceitful.

"Be calm Zuko. I won't harm you even if I was able to make physical contact" The Nomad said in a somewhat cheery voice.

Zuko remained ever skeptical of this thing in front of him and gave him a cold stare.

The Nomad sighed in disappointment, "I understand that you have no trust for anyone anymore. I don't blame you for after what happened to your mother"

Zuko's blades lit up at the mention of his mother, "Shut up you damn ghost! You don't know anything!"

The Nomad remained in his peaceful expression and tries to apologize, "I did not mean any disrespect to her. She was mourned by many from the Spirit Realm" Zuko lowered his swords just a bit; "I am the spirit of Monk Gyatso. I have wondered this temple after it was raided by the Fire Nation"

Zuko brought his swords back up again, "Is this a visit demanding vengeance for their deaths by seeking out mine?"

Gyatso shook his head, "We monks would never hurt another living soul" he said in a cheery voice.

"Maybe if you did, there would still be a race of air nomads left" said Zuko not in the mood for joking, "Then maybe the avatar would have been able to stop this war before it carried on for over a century"

Gyatso dropped his expression to sadness, "Perhaps. Perhaps may it is my fault as well for that" this caught Zuko's attention to what happened all those years ago, "You see? I was the caretaker of a boy named Aang"

Zuko was not interested in useless facts, "I have no time for what you used to do with others"

Gyatso looked up at Zuko in a stern stare, "It would if you knew he was the avatar"

Zuko calmed himself from his frustration. He still had problems keeping his patience and temper, "Sorry. I just been having a bad day to start with"

Gyatso smiled and waved a hand, "It's understandable. I would be in a foul mood if a great Spirit trued to kill me too for what I believed in" Zuko smiled a bit from the humor. Gyatso continued with his story, "Anyways, at the time, Aang was young and needed to learn to be a free spirit like the wind so I treated him like a son. I cared and nurtured him to a fun loving and friendly boy" Gyatso then took on a face of regret, "But the thing I never taught him to do was learn to let things go for the greater good. The Monks then declared to him that he was the avatar before he was ready due to the war that was rising. Aang refused to be the avatar because everyone treated him differently after. We should have told him of the situation of the world and what he could do to stop it. But we were to hasty in our decisions and I was to caught up in what Aang wanted to be happy that we caused him to run away from his duty as the avatar and so the war was raged and we paid for our mistakes. Even me"

Zuko took all this information in and then began to wonder, "Why are you telling me this?"

Gyatso looked up at Zuko in a somewhat pleading look on his face, "Aang has been found after trapping himself in a block of ice and he will be here soon"

Zuko was shocked that the avatar had been alive all this time in an ice prison, but this made him more angry at the boy hearing that he would disappear like this, "Why tell me this?"

Gyasto spoke in a somewhat desperate tone, "Please, the boy will be against your decision as the Spirit of War and will try to stop you. I ask that you do not take the boy's life if he tries to fight you"

Zuko's hard look turned into glare that accepted a challenge, "If he thinks he will be able to stop me like Vayu, then he will meet the same fate by my blades!"

"If you kill him then you will not be able to speak to the past avatars!" Gyatso warned.

Zuko was taken aback by this. He thought the only ones who could communicate with them was the avatar, "You expect me to believe I can talk to the avatar spirits?"

"You are able to talk to a dead man from a century ago, are you not?" Gyatso pointed out. Zuko pondered this for a moment. True he was talking to a dead man. Not even the avatar could speak to the dead. Zuko remembered how he acquired this power. If he could take another face from Koh, when he finds him, He might be able to find a way to talk to the avatars, but why would Gyatso want him to? Gyatso saw the question in his eyes, "You must wonder why I would want you to speak to the avatars?" Zuko nodded, "Just so happens that I was asked by Avatar Roku himself"

Zuko was still confused by why this is important, "Why would he want you to tell me this?"

Gyatso paused for a moment, "That is for him to tell you when you find a way to speak to him"

Zuko began to lose his patience, "Why did he not just tell you what he wanted to tell me?"

"I asked him the very same question, but more politely" Gyatso chuckled a bit while Zuko grew frustrated, "He told me that it is too soon for you to know and you must learn much until then"

Zuko had no choice but to wait. He could not make a dead man do what he want, "Is that all?"

Gyatso then smiled. "I can see that you are in need of an air bending teacher?"

This caught Zuko's attention, "But you're dead. How can you teach me when you cannot air bend?"

"Just because I cannot air bend doesn't mean I cannot teach the movements and techniques" Gyatso enlightened.

Zuko knew this was his best bet to learn his new hot air bending, "Fine, then tell me how to do it"

Gyatso shook his head, "In order to learn air bending, you must be calm and polite"

Zuko grew furious, "How does that teach me air bending!"

Gyatso remained unmoved by Zuko's temper, "To learn the techniques, you must first be calm and at peace. Air bending is swift and free. Not angry and offensive"

"Why then do I have to be polite!?" Zuko asked at the brink of exploding in anger.

Gyatso smiled, "I prefer to teach polite people. Now if you want to learn how to communicate with others on your travels, you must first learn restraint and manners in order not to give your identity away"

Zuko grumbled as he tried to calm himself, "Fine. I'll try to be more… polite"

"Excellent. Now we can begin" Gyatso said cheerfully.

Gyatso began teaching the basic movements and techniques to air bend. At times he would jest with Zuko trying to have him restrain his temper without blowing up. That took more work than teaching him techniques. At first Zuko would use more aggressive movements making his form violent and hasty, but in time he slowly began to relax and move more swiftly and freely. Zuko's manners class was also improving to help him keep his temper in check when irritated or offended. It took a day or two for Gyatso to teach Zuko, but Gyatso felt a great feeling of happiness as if he was teaching young air benders once again. Gyatso was joyous as he starting to understand his student and getting to know him better. It felt like he was teaching Aang once again. Well an angry and more serious Aang that was. Zuko was also a fast learner and just as dedicated to his efforts. Even if he messed up, he was determined to get it right the next time. Soon enough Gyatso felt that Zuko learned the basics of air bending and that it was time to leave.

"Well done Zuko. You have managed to master the basics of air bending" Gyatso congratulated Zuko.

Zuko bowed to Gyatso, "Now will you teach me more advance techniques?"

Gyatso shook his head, "I'm afraid that is up to you to learn on your own"

If it wasn't for his classes on anger restrain, Zuko would have burst into flames, "Then how am I supposed to learn more techniques?" He asked in a rough tone.

"The basics are stepping stone to greater techniques and hidden abilities that the user can create only. You will find the strength to learn powerful techniques on your own. But now I must leave" Gyatso said with a bit of sadness.

"Why do you need to leave all of the sudden?" Zuko asked a bit concerned.

Gyatso stared off into the distance. Zuko turned to see a small spot in the sky began to appear and grow larger as it was heading towards them, "Your journey has just begun"

Zuko turned around to see Gyatso gone. This must be the start of Zuko's journey and that growing spot must have something to do with it. Zuko took no chances of what that approaching spot may be so he hid out of sight.

After a while, Zuko saw the creature land behind the rocks outside from the temple. Hopefully what ever it was didn't spot him from a far distance. But then after Zuko began hearing young faint voices. One sound like a teenaged boy, one was a teenaged girl, and the last was some child. He could not hear or see anyone else approaching, so it seemed that it was just a bunch of kids. He started to doubt what Gyatso said about his journey beginning with these kids. Zuko would just wait them out until they left.

As they grew closer, Zuko was able to hear their names as they talked to each other. Sokka, Katara, and… Aang? Zuko began to think this was a mistake. Sure he was told that he was frozen on ice, but even so. How could anyone find him and break him free from his ice prison and how was he still so young after a century?

This couldn't be the avatar Gyatso was talking about. It must have been some mere coincidence.

Zuko began to hear them speak again.

The one named Katara spoke first, "Are you feeling better Aang?"

The young kid Zuko assumed was Aang replied in a very happy enthusiastic tone, "Yeah, I don't know what it was that weakened me but it's coming back and I think I can air bend again"

Zuko was shocked and now convinced that it was the avatar. He wore his traditional air nomad clothing and was an air bender, a live one. I was certain that Zuko must hide from him in order not to have to be forced to fight him if he found out what he was planning to do. He could not kill him if he wanted to meet Avatar Roku.

"Maybe you just had some kind of bending flu that caused you to stop bending?" Zuko could only reason that he was Sokka. Not a very bright one he must say.

Katara rolled her eyes, "Really Sokka? You think there is a flu that stops bending?"

Sokka replied in defense, "It could happen"

Katara sighed, "Only you Sokka"

Aang tried to patronize Sokka, "Don't worry Sokka, it was a good guess anyways"

Sokka only grumbled sarcastically, "Thanks a lot, that helped a bunch"

"Glad it did" Aang said as he walked off.

"That was sarcasm if you didn't know!" Sokka said frustrated.

The group passed by Zuko and left into the temple. This looked like it would take a while for them to leave, but Zuko would rather wait it out than exposing himself. He remembered the boy and girl as siblings and that she was the one to try and take care of him as he was tortured in their tribe. Although he looked different back then, he hoped she wouldn't recognize him.

After a while he heard them coming back.

Aang spoke in concern, "I just wonder where everyone went. No one seems to be around"

"Because something might have…" Sokka was about to blurt out.

Until Katara raised her hands in fake enthusiasm hitting Sokka across the face, "Gone on a vacation or something like that!"

Aang bought the suggestion, "Yeah! They always have fieldtrip sometimes, maybe they all left together on the air bison"

"Yeah that could be it" Katara agreed.

Zuko shook his head knowing she was lying to him to keep him from knowing the grim truth.

It looked like they were leaving. This could be the chance that Zuko could remain undetected.

But luck was not so kind.

Zuko then heard a whoosh and a chirping as he felt something small and light land on his shoulder. He turned to come face to face with some kind of flying furry creature. It look curiously at Zuko for a while.

Zuko tried to blow it off but it just flew right back on his shoulder still chirping curiously. Zuko then tried to brush it away, but only caused it to fly on his other shoulder. Zuko began to loose his patience with it and grabbed it and threw it off away from him. Zuko saw it fly around a corner out of sight. Zuko then focused back on the group about to leave the temple grounds. That is until the flying creature landed on his head and held onto his hair to stay on. This caused it pull Zuko's hair and irritate him.

"Argh! Get off of me you fur ball!" Zuko shouted in irritated pain as he tried to get the creature off him. He stumbled out of his hiding spot and out in the open as he struggled and stumbled to get the creature off him.

Soon he was able to get it off and hold it out in front of him, "What is wrong with you?! I don't have food and don't you have others of your kind to pester!?"

The creature only stared at him and grabbed his nose.

Zuko grunted in annoyance and dropped the creature as it flew into the air again and landed on his shoulder to cuddle and purr. "Ugh, why me? Zuko complained.

Then Zuko realized about the fuss he made as he was standing clear out in the open in front of three surprised and shocked kids. Zuko cursed his luck of being found out.

Sokka then pulled out his club and boomerang in a sloppy fighting stance, "Who are you!?"

This is what Zuko was trying to avoid but luckily he didn't recognize him and the boy tried to calm the situation, "Sokka it's okay" Aang said pushing down his club.

Sokka was shocked, "Okay!? He is a total stranger hiding here! He could have been waiting to ambush us!"

Zuko huffed out in frustrated annoyance, "Why and how would I ambush three kids by myself?"

Sokka tried to come up with an answer, "You could have… no. Well you could have… no that would work. But you could…um"

"See Sokka? He meant no harm right?" Aang tried to calm the situation.

Zuko turned his head, "As long as you don't try anything with me"

Katara was staring at Zuko the whole time. She couldn't understand but she felt like she knew and seen him from somewhere, "Have… we met?"

Sokka then got in front of Katara, "Really Katara? You are going to flirting with this guy!?"

Katara slapped Sokka across the face, "I'm not flirting Sokka! It just feels like I may have seen him before!"

Aang came up to Zuko, "Hey is that flying lemur your pet?"

Zuko pulled it off him as it slept on his shoulder, "No you keep it"

Aang was all but unwilling to take it, "Gee thanks! I'll call you Momo"

Katara approached Zuko trying to remember his face, "Are you sure we've never met?"

Zuko shook his head, "You have never seen me before, I swear it"

Katara felt an unknown feeling of disappointment, "Oh, sorry"

Sokka interrupted, "Um, if you guys are done flirting? Can we go now?"

Katara glared at Sokka, "Just wait until I learn more water bending techniques!"

Sokka, shrugged carelessly, "Yeah but until then, I will keep talking"

Katara balled her fists, "One day I will get you to shut up when I want"

Aang then turned to Zuko ,"What's your name?"

Zuko froze as he realized he hadn't come up with a alias name yet, but one came up quick that was short and easy to remember, "Lee, my name is Lee"

Aang shook the now know as Lee, "Glad to meet you Lee" Zuko thought how wrong the boy would be if he knew who he really was, "So where did you come from? Your clothes look like different styles of earth nation, fire nation, and water tribe. Are you trying to send a message to say we can all work together?"

Zuko was loosing patience with this kid's enthusiasm and questions, "No. I just wear what I can with what I find"

Sokka then spoke his mind that proved to be a huge mistake, "Lame get up for a lame person"

Zuko lost his temper and threw a gust ball of hot air knocking Sokka into a wall and melting the snow on it to splash down on Sokka. Katara and Aang stood in shock and awe to what just happened. Zuko on the other hand was satisfied even though he knew he blew part of his cover, but it would cease any argument that he was a fire bender and that he was once the long dead prince of the Fire Nation.

"YOU'RE AN AIR BENDER!" Aang shouted with excitement and joy.

Zuko just went with it, "Yeah, well sort of"

Aang started jumping around, "This is great! You know where the others are! Where are they?"

Zuko Saw the look in Katara's eyes but Zuko shook his head at her in a stern stare that made her accept what Zuko was about to say, "They are all dead Aang"

Aang's expressions now turned to shock and despair, "W-what?

"You may not know this Aang but a hundred years have past and every air Nomad was exterminated by the Fire Nation. You are… we are the last of our kind." Zuko tried to explain.

Aang became teary eyed, "But-but I was just gone a few days ago"

Zuko chose his next words carefully, "Whatever you did back then or where ever you went, it has kept you safe and preserved for a century. A hundred years have passed of world wide war and the Fire Nation has brought the Air Nomads to extinction. Everything you once knew is gone"

Aang couldn't believe it, "No! NO!" Aang then began to unleash his avatar spirit and create a barrier of wind around him. The others jumped aback when they first saw him glow. They began to hold onto whatever they could from being blown off the mountain. Aang rose into the air as his power increased.

"What are we going to do?! He's going to blow us off the mountain!" Sokka shouted in panic.

Katara tried to move closer to Aang, "I'm going to try to calm him down!"

"Are you crazy!?" Lee shouted

"I need to try" Katara said determined.

Lee walked up in front of her and created a counter air force with his hot air to keep them from being blown away, "I'll make a path, you try and talk to him!" Lee ordered.

Katara began talking to Aang when they got close enough, "Aang! I know you are upset about what happened! I know what it's like to lose those you have known and loved! Ilost my mother to the Fire Nation too!"

Zuko knew he needed to hear more than that, "What would Gyatso think of you to see you lose control of yourself like this?!"

Katara was a bit surprised to hear Lee so blunt with his words, but soon the winds died down as Aang lowered to the ground. The glow from his tattoos disappeared.

"I'm sorry and your right. Gyatso wouldn't want me to lose control like this. Not even from his death. He taught me better than that" Aang apologized.

Katara and Sokka walked up to Aang, "I know they were like family to you, but we can be your new family Aang" Katara said to ease Aang's pain.

"Yeah, we promise that nothing will happen to you. We'll help you on your journey" Sokka added in.

Aang looked up at them, "Lee and I are the last air benders aren't we?"

Sokka then asked Lee, "Hey if you are an air bender then…"

"There is no other. If there was, I wouldn't be up here alone" Lee answered Sokka's question.

Sokka cringed thinking he hit a personal spot, "I didn't mean anything by that"

Katara could only figure that the only reason he is alone is because his family was killed, "You… have no family?"

Lee shut his eyes trying to keep those memories out, "My family died years ago. Nothing of them is left" The three did not say anything to that or questioned him further. They were too deep already in what they knew now, "You got somewhere to be. I have to go find something else"

Aang spoke his mind, "Maybe you could come with us and we'll be like a new family to…"

"I don't need another family to worry about!" Lee exploded in fury. He then tried to calm himself before losing control, "We are on two separate paths Aang. We can't work together"

Katara offered a small suggestion, "You are alone on this temple with no means of traveling. We can give you a ride to where ever you need to go"

Lee knew it would save time to get to where he needed to go and even if he went off alone he still wouldn't have a boat right now to travel the seas with. Lee had no choice, "Just to where I need to go and then we part ways" It was a high risk of exposing himself to the avatar but he was one to take risks.

Katara smiled, "We'll get you to where ever you need to go Lee"

Aang still tried to give a suggestion, "Maybe along the way you'll change your mind…" Lee gave Aang a stone cold glare, "a-a-about wearing those clothe. Yeah" Aang shuffled away from Lee.

"Just no flirting with my sister" Sokka demanded.

Katara grew offended, "SOKKA!"

"Hey you never know" Sokka reasoned.

Lee shook his head, "You shouldn't concern yourself with me. I lost faith in people a long ago" Lee said as he headed to where he saw the bison land. The others stood there shocked and felt sorrow for Lee. Momo made a sad chirping noise, "Are we going or not?" Lee asked them.

"Man, I feel like a real jerk now" Sokka said regretfully.

They all climbed aboard Appa and flew off from the temple. Zuko would now have many things to face. Some expected and some unexpected. Faces he though long gone would soon appear once again. Little did everyone know, that the events of the world would soon change.

**REALM OF THE GREAT SPIRITS**

Iresh and La both brought up the event of Zuko's murder of the Great Spirit Vayu to the remaining council.

Agni was irritated at the hypocrisy of the spirits, "So after the death of one spirit compared to the deaths of many people, your people, that you choose now to interfere with the mortal world?"

La spoke up his reason, "The boy is dangerous after Vayu tried to peacefully talk sense into the boy. We can't have a mere mortal going around the others telling that he was able to take down a Great Spirit. Everyone will start to no longer believe we have the power to aid them"

Agni raised his voice in anger, "We have done that for the past century of war! They have already begun to think we are powerless and don't exist!"

"If they know one could have the power to destroy a great spirit then they will all try to find a way" Iresh pointed out.

"The only way for a mortal to possess that power is if a great spirit grants them that power" Tui interjected.

"Zuko has only used this power in self defense from being killed. Vayu took it upon himself to challenge that power and he paid for it himself. Zuko will use this power to bring order to the chaos we have ignored for too long. Pacifism will not quell the evil that has reined for centuries only a forced peace against evil." Agni made his case and was prone to go through with it.

Iresh rose from his seat with eyes of fury, "You made the choice to go against traditions! We will make ours against yours of breaking it! Zuko will pay for the death of Vayu! It is law for any human who takes the life of a great spirit! The choice is final and Zuko has brought this upon the world!"

The spirits besides Agni left the realm to their own. Angi could see the fear in their eyes before they left. The fear of change of their ways, of their control on the mortals. They knew if Zuko was left on this path that they will lose what they had for the mortal all these centuries. Power and controlled freedom. Now they will wage war on one mortal when the world is at war with each other.

The world will come to and end from their refusal of control.

* * *

**WHAT COULD HAPPEN NEXT? DO YOU THINK ZUKO SHOULD DITCH THEM ON THEIR NEXT STOP OR CONTINUE ON WITH THEM? REVIEW YOUR ANSWER.**


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